1. Field Of The Invention
The present invention appertains in general to new and novel improvements in gas-fired heating plants, such as warm-air furnaces, boilers and the like, and particularly relates to a new and novel system for venting such heating plants.
2. State Of The Art
Known venting systems function to carry off the fumes or products of combustion, which contain carbon monoxide, from the flue opening in a gas-fired heating plant to the chimney flue. The venting systems incorporate a back-draft diverter which is built adjacent to the combustion chamber of the heating plant and disposed within the jacket of the heating plant and which functions to prevent a back draft from blowing out the pilot light in the combustion chamber.
In such conventional vented installations, the gravity of the heat in the top of the combustion chamber allows the heated air to rise out through the chimney flue and to be replaced through the fresh air inlet by cool air, thus cooling off the combustion chamber. Such venting systems permit a considerable loss of heat which escapes up through the chimney flue.
Draft hoods or regulators have been used to prevent the occurrence of down drafts through the chimney into the combustion chamber of the heating plant. But such draft hoods or regulators also tend to reduce the temperature within the combustion chamber for the heat within the combustion chamber is drawn off or allowed to escape through the chimney flue and, consequently, more combustion of fuel is required to raise the temperature within the combustion chamber.
None of the known venting systems deals with the dual problem of conservation of fuel while realizing a safe installation and operation in warm-air furnaces and gas-fired boilers. In conventional methods of venting a gas-fired heating plant, the gravity of the heat in the top of the combustion chamber always permits the heat to rise out of the chimney flue and be replaced in the fresh air inlet at the main burners by cold air. This cools off the combustion chamber.
Furthermore, internal baffle means are utilized only as back-draft diverters and none of these serve to form a heat lock within the combustion chamber so as to hold high temperature heat within the combustion chamber until the heat exchanger gives the heat off for use.
In addition, none of the venting systems reduce the flue vent pipe temperature. And overheated vent pipes cause most, if not all, flue fires. Also, known venting systems do not take into account flue stoppages which block up the chimney flue.
Further, previous fuel saving venting systems do not meet the standards set by the American National Standards Institute For Fire Protection and the American Gas Association and are not adaptable for use in the limited furnace space usually found in modern home installations.